climate Archives - Disasters News

May272025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Andhra Pradesh Welcomes Early Monsoon After Six-Year Wait

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

In a rare and promising turn for agriculture, the southwest monsoon has swept into Andhra Pradesh nine days ahead of schedule, marking the earliest onset in the past six years. The seasonal rains, typically expected around June 4, reached Kavali this week and are set to cover the entire state within the next three days, offering a much-needed boost for the upcoming kharif cropping season. Meteorological officials confirmed that weather conditions remain favorable for the swift progression of the monsoon across both coastal Andhra and the Rayalaseema region, where the monsoon traditionally makes its initial landfall in the state. The early arrival of the rains is an auspicious sign for our farmers and the rural economy. It raises hopes for a strong agricultural yield and stable ground...

May262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

UK Records Driest Spring in Over a Century Amid Growing Drought Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions

In yet another sign of escalating climate volatility, the United Kingdom is experiencing its driest spring in more than 100 years. The Met Office has confirmed that this spring’s average rainfall stands at just 80 mm far below the usual seasonal average of 229 mm marking the country’s lowest precipitation for the season in over a century. Rainfall Plummets to Historic Lows The dry spell gripping Britain has seen vast areas of the country go without meaningful rain for extended periods. Notably, regions including Greater London, Hampshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Yorkshire have recorded 20 consecutive dry days. While some parts of Wales and southwest England received adequate rainfall earlier in March, most of the UK has seen sharp deficits since then. For comparison, s...

May262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

AI Weather Models Struggle with ‘Gray Swan’ Events, UChicago Study Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations, Tech

Neural networks excel at day-to-day forecasting—but falter when facing rare, extreme weather As the world increasingly relies on artificial intelligence for weather prediction, a new study led by the University of Chicago has uncovered a critical limitation: neural networks fail to anticipate so-called “gray swan” weather events rare but devastating occurrences that may not appear in the historical data used to train these AI systems. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on May 21, the study reveals that although AI models offer fast and energy efficient forecasts, they struggle to predict unprecedented weather phenomena such as 200-year floods, record-breaking heat waves, or catastrophic hurricanes. What Are Gray Swan Events? Unlike typical day-to-d...

May252025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Greater Horn of Africa Braces for Above Normal June–September Rainfall

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

A new regional climate outlook warns of an above-normal rainy season across much of the Greater Horn of Africa from June to September 2025, raising hopes for improved agricultural output while spotlighting risks of flooding and disease outbreaks. Issued during the 70th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF), the forecast anticipates wetter-than-average conditions across key parts of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Djibouti. The forecast was released by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), in collaboration with WMO and national meteorological agencies. Key Rainfall Highlights The seasonal forecast projects a 55% chance of above-normal rainfall in: Central Sudan Eastern South Sudan Northern and southwestern Ethio...

May22025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate vs Energy: New Global Model Warns of Looming Trade-Off

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new modelling tool developed by Australian researchers has revealed a sobering reality achieving urgent climate goals could clash with avoiding a major global energy shortfall. UniSA Researchers Unveil ‘GREaSE’ Model Researchers at the University of South Australia have introduced a new open-source energy scenario tool called GREaSE (Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification), offering fresh insight into the global energy transition dilemma. Developed by Associate Professor James Hopeward and three civil engineering students Shannon O'Connor, Richard Davis, and Peter Akiki the model explores a range of “what-if” future energy scenarios often left out of mainstream discussions. "It's designed to be simple, accessible, and exploratory," said Assoc Prof Hopeward. "Most cl...

Apr302025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate Disasters to Cost a Record $145 Billion in 2025, Warns Swiss Re Study

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Climate disasters are set to cost $145 billion in insured losses globally in 2025 a sharp 6% rise from last year making it one of the costliest years on record, according to a new report by reinsurance giant Swiss Re. This projected figure surpasses the $137 billion loss in 2024 and is well above the historical average. The rise is driven by a growing number of extreme weather events which experts link to climate change, urban expansion, and increasing populations in high-risk zones. A major driver of this year’s spike is the wildfires in Los Angeles which alone are expected to cause $40 billion in insured damages, the report said. Total Damage Far Worse While insured losses are skyrocketing, the total losses from natural disasters including damages not covered by insurance...

Apr232025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

New Zealand Unveils Major Environmental Reporting Changes to Support Its Net-Zero Goals

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

In a bold move to elevate its environmental governance New Zealand has announced sweeping reforms to its national environmental reporting framework aiming to deliver more accurate, accessible and actionable climate and ecological data. Environment Minister Penny Simmonds unveiled the changes this week describing them as a crucial shift from reactive crisis management to proactive evidence based environmental decision-making. These reforms are set to align New Zealand with global best practices while helping communities and businesses plan for an increasingly unpredictable future. At the core of the reforms is an amended Environmental Reporting Act, replacing the current six-monthly reporting cycle with a more strategic annual model. The new framework also integrates analysis of envir...

Apr232025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Underwater Waterfalls Detected from Space Reveal Climate’s Hidden Currents

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Far beneath the waves of the stormy Southern Ocean, cold, salty water plunges off Antarctica’s continental shelf like a silent underwater waterfall, fueling a vast ocean current system that helps regulate Earth’s climate. Long hidden and nearly impossible to observe, these dense water cascades are finally being seen not by ships or divers, but from space. In a groundbreaking study, researchers have used satellite data to track these powerful underwater flows by spotting tiny dips in sea level often just a few centimetres. These subtle signals, detected by satellites orbiting hundreds of kilometres above Earth, mark the sinking of cold, heavy water as it plunges to the ocean floor. This discovery opens up a low-cost, carbon-free way to monitor one of the ocean’s most important but elusiv...

Apr152025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Unseasonal Rainstorms Kill Nearly 100 Across India and Nepal, More Bad Weather Ahead

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Heavy rains and thunderstorms sweeping through parts of India and Nepal since Wednesday have led to nearly 100 deaths, with more severe weather forecasted in the coming days. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued fresh warnings, cautioning the public about a combination of heatwaves in western India and continued thunderstorms in the central and eastern regions. Bihar has been the hardest hit, where at least 64 people have died in various rain-related incidents. In Uttar Pradesh, local authorities have reported over 20 fatalities, as strong winds, lightning, and flash floods wreaked havoc across districts. Across the border in Nepal, the National Disaster Authority confirmed that at least eight people lost their lives due to lightning strikes and rain-triggered accidents...

Apr122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Northern China Braces for Gale Force Winds Travel Disruptions as Cold Vortex Approaches

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Beijing, April 12, 2025 — Northern China is on high alert this weekend as a powerful cold vortex sweeps in from Mongolia triggering typhoon-like gales and prompting widespread disruptions across the region. Authorities have issued the highest level wind warnings in a decade for the capital Beijing, and surrounding provinces. According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, wind gusts could reach up to 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph), posing significant risks to public safety. In response Beijing has activated an orange alert the second-highest in China's four-tier weather warning system for high winds a level not seen in over ten years. With a sharp temperature drop of up to 12°C expected, officials have urged the city’s 22 million residents to avoid all non-essential travel. Public p...